The capsule for "Mom and Pop Art" is now available at The Simpsons Archive, at "http://www.snpp.com/episodes.html". You may access it by following the link for episode AABF15.
We plan to have "The Old Man and the 'C' Student (AABF16)" up next. (This is subject to change due to schedule and resource demands, however.)
Not among the world's web-enabled? That's okay -- a copy the AABF15 capsule follows immediately. Enjoy!
Mom and Pop Art Written by Al Jean
Directed by Steven Dean Moore
==============================================================================
Production code: AABF15 Original Airdate on FOX: 11-Apr-1999
Capsule revision A (10-Jul-01)
============================================================================================================================================================ [Canadian TV Guide] Homer's ability to channel his anger into art impresses art dealer Astrid Weller (Isabella Rossellini).
==============================================================================
============================================================================== Blackboard: A TRAINED APE COULD / NOT TEACH GYM
A TRAINED APE COULD / NOT TEACH GY at cutoff
Couch: The family wears cowboy hats and rides on the couch,
sidesaddle. Beneath them, a trapdoor in the floor opens and
the couch falls through. The camera looks through the door,
and we see the family falling towards a city far below, like
Slim Pickens riding the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove." [Recycled
from AABF07]==============================================================================
==============================================================================
... Barney's former girlfriend, the Japanese conceptual artist, frequents
the art shows?
... Homer chucks a loaded gun into Maggie's playpen -- while she's in it?
... the mystery vegetables on Marge's curtains seem to have morphed back
into carrots?Ben Collins: ... Milhouse has an Isotopes pennant in his room?
Don Del Grande:
... Homer was supposed to start painting the garage on July 18, 1995?
... Maggie falls when Marge and the kids appear from behind the house?
... apparently, the question "where does all of the money the family make
[go]?" has been answered, $68,000 at a time
... Jasper Johns only had 11 words, including "yoink"?
... Homer draws by holding his pencil in his fist?
... the four-armed/legged man was wearing a jockstrap?
... Homer is not a fan of the magician Valentino (the one from "Magic's
Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed")?
... Milhouse has a "Krusty the Klown Show" garbage can?
... in the last scene, Maggie is on the roof with a lifejacket?Yuri Dieujuste: ... the warning about snapping your fingers? ... Luanne and Pryo at the Louvre: American Style ... Sarah and Chief Wiggum water-skiing? ... the Debutante from 4F05 has returned?
Jordan Eisenberg: ... Doug Vaccaro's apron has a man who's just hit his thumb with a hammer? ... Lenny calls Carl "big guy?" ... a lion and a lamb sleeping together? ... this was the first "Yoink!" done by a celebrity guest?
E. E. Fooner:
... some of the boxes in the hardware store are stacked to resemble the USA
flag?Curtis Gibby:
... at Homer's showing, Barney had a jacket, but his belly was showing
through his T-shirt like always? (What a slob! <g>)Joe Green: ... Astrid Weller drives a BMW? [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] ... a man is dressed like a caveman at the gallery?
Dave Hall: ... Homer emptied at least two beers into his coconut? ... Homer hasn't finish painting the garage in almost 3.5 years? ... the BBQ Pit kit is both new and on sale? ... Lisa wore the overalls over her strapless dress? ... a wristwatch strapped to a 2-by-4? ... Homer dons different entire after buying the BBQ pit kit? ... Homer carries a flashlight around with him? ... not hearing gun shots worries Marge? ... Ms. Weller wears a black wristband on her left wrist? ... Maggie is missing from dinner? ... Homer makes fun of a man in an apron yet he dons one later? ... the two bar denizens, Larry and Sam, are missing from the bar? ... someone is selling Homer Simpson merchandise at the art show? ... Milhouse's Mom and her boyfriend at the art show? ... Maggie could ride a tricycle? :-) ... Homer used barbwire in his attempt to build a birdhouse? ... Homer and Marge holding hands at the Springsonian Museum? ... no cars on the street when Homer and Bart steal the door mats? ... the Simpsons have (had) a vanity door mat? ... every home has a fire hydrant in front of it? ... the SNPP cooling towers on the Springfield skyline? ... Jebediah Springfield's statue has a snorkel and the bear too? ... Maude isn't in the portraits that hang above Ned and her bed? ... the Krusty Walky-talky on Milhouse's desk? ... the set of skis in Milhouse's bedroom? ... Prof. Frink taking a stroll in his plastic bubble? ... Burns and Smithers taking a leisurely ride in a swan? ... Bart and Lisa having a picnic on the roof? ... Eddie and Lou drive a speedboat while the Wiggums water-ski. ... Chief Wiggum wears nothing but shorts and his police hat.
Darrel Jones: ... Cletus's voice sounds a little off?
Haynes Lee: ... "Astrid Weller" is an anagram for "Sell weird art"?
Tyler McHenry: ... that Bart is eating an entire cheese wheel? ... the Texan who makes foolish purchases at the second art fair? ... Matt Groening's signature is on the frame, not the picture? ... Homer recognizes Andy Warhol?
Tom Rinschler: ... Santa's Little Helper under the dining room table as the family eats?
Benjamin Robinson:
... for that matter, Marge forgot to take Maggie out back with the other
kids?
... only Smithers pedals the swan boat?Evan Ross: ... Bart licking the Popsicle? ... Bart takes off his shirt when he is outside on the roof at the end?
Mike Smith:
... it's Jean's first Simpsons script (Solo and/or with other people) in
almost three years (Since "Lisa's Sax" was one of the four 3G episodes
made after Season 7)?
... the episode title referred to the hardware store that brought much of
the items that his artworks was made from?Gary Wilson:
... normal stores in Springfield don't sell pants for a man of Homer's
"carriage" (239 lbs.)?
... it's been four years since Homer started painting the garage and no one
even through away the paint cans?
... Mom and Pop Hardware is a subsidiary of Global Dynamics, Inc?
... the Pimply Faced Teen is pricing steel wool?
... Skinner is no longer charmed by Edna's "ha!" laugh?
... Skinner and Krabappel weren't very concerned that Bart heard their
conversation, even though their relationship is still a secret?
... it's the Christmas season when this episode takes place (or Springfield
has a Toys for Tots box year round)?
... Chief Wiggum knows "P�re No�l" is French for "Santa Clause", no matter
how poorly he pronounces it?
... Marge doesn't seem concerned that Homer has a gun in the house anymore?
... Homer has apparently had his car since the days when he was "Single 'n'
Sassy" or wants people to think he still is single?
... Barney apparently has been going to AA Meetings (12 Steps)?
... Homer is angry at the implication that Bart is attracted to Milhouse,
yet seems quite intrigued at watching his friends shower?
... Homer thinks he's screwed up Bart?Alexander S. Woods: ... the Piet Mondrian work on the cover of Art in America?
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Barney, Tex)
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Teen, Doug, Wiggum, Cletus, Moe, Gunter, Carl, Worker, Andy
Warhol)
- Harry Shearer (Ned, Skinner, Announcer {je}, Burns, Smithers, Lenny)- Special Guest Voice - Jasper Johns (Himself) - Isabella Rossellini (Astrid) - Marcia Wallace (Edna)
- Also Starring
- Pamela Hayden (Milhouse)
- Tress MacNeille (Extra woman)
- Maggie Roswell (Maude {je})
- Karl Wiedergott (Cecil [?])==============================================================================
==============================================================================
+ pop art (art genre) {tr}
- title is a take-off [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] + "Dr. Strangelove" (movie)
- family rides an atom bomb to its target, like the Slim Pickens
character in the movie
- [I decided to re-cite the reference, after all -- Ed.] + "Lime in the Coconut" (song) {jg}
- Homer sings Harry Nilsson song, but about beer - Hawaiian Punch (canned drink) {dh}
- Homer dons Hawaiian hat and shirt, lying in the hammock, sipping on a
coconut drink [like the commercials for Hawaiian Punch] + Home Depot (chain of hardware stores) {yd}
- "Mom and Pop Hardware" store similar [See "Comments" section for more
-- Ed.] + "Home Improvement" (TV series)
- "Toolin' Around'" strongly resembles show-within-a-show "Tool Time" ~ Orchard Supply Hardware (chain of hardware stores) {ddg}
- the in-store ad is similar to Richard Karn's ads - "Godfather" (movie) {asw}
- Homer pulls gun from behind water tank of toilet + Pere No�l (mythical figure) {bjr}
- Wiggum calls Homer "pear No�l", referencing Homer's body shape and the
French Santa Claus [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] - "Psycho" (movie) {gw}
- when Homer is driving in his car, trying to get rid of the BBQ, the
shots and music are similar to the famous scene where Janet Leigh is
driving in the rain + "Love, American Style" (TV series)
- Springfield's avant-garde gallery called "Louvre: American Style" + "White Christmas" (song) {tr}
- Burns nearly bought "Guernica" for a song -- this one + "David" (statue) {bjr}
- Michelangelo's statue of David recreated with junk at the first art
show + "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" (painting) {ddg}
- Barney's napkin drawing is a copy of Seruat's famous painting of a
French riverbank scene + Homer's "Odyssey" (epic poem)
- Greek epic poem (and poet) lend name to Homer's solo art show + The Smithsonian (museum) {bjr}
- The Springsonian Museum inspired by the Washington, D.C., showcase + "Life In Hell" (comic strip)
- Homer disses an Akbar and Jeff painting from this strip [N.B.:
"Simpsons" creator Matt Groening also draws "Life in Hell" -- Ed.]- "Duck Amuck" (cartoon)
- "Rabbit Rampage" (cartoon) {eac}
- two classic Warner Brothers cartoons that featured the characters
arguing with their animators and being partially erased + "The Sleeping Gypsy" (painting) {bjr}
- the first image in Homer's nightmare comes from this Henri Rousseau
painting + "Terminator 2" (movie) {jg}
- the gunman in the Cubist painting says "Hasta la vista, baby!" - "Mortal Kombat" (video game) {cg}
- in Homer's dream, Leonardo's 4-armed, 4-legged man punching and
kicking him is like Goro (and other multi-armed creatures) in this
series of games + Andy Warhol (artist)
- his famous picture of Campbell soup appears in museum and Homer's
dream
- artist himself fights Homer in the dream sequence [See "Comments"
section for more -- Ed.] + "Magic's Greatest Secrets Revealed" (TV specials)
- Homer confuses Cristo with Valentino, the Masked Magician from these
specials + Noah's Ark (Biblical tale) {hl}
- at first, Ned thinks the Lord has drowned the wicked and spared the
righteous + "Everything's Coming Up Roses" (song) {jg}
- "Everything's coming up Milhouse!"==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Moe's Bigotry {bc}
- [2F15] "We saved your ass in World War II"
- [3F20] Anti-immigrant campaign
- [AABF14] Bad-mouths Catholics- [7G03] Name of Homer's Solo Show: Homer's Odyssey {dh}
- [7G03] Homer's Odyssey (episode title) gag is re-used on a sign in this ep
{gw}
- [7F05] Antoine "Tex" O'Hara appears {jg}
- [7F06] Wild animals in a pool of water {je}
- [7F12] Homer tries to speak French {bc}
- [7F13] Lenny and Carl shower at SNPP {gw}
- [7F14] Homer tries to return a dilapidated item {gw}
- [7F18] Marge's artistic fascination with painting Ringo Starr
- [7F18] A Simpson is featured in an art museum {mr}
- [7F18] Marge's art career mentioned
- [7F23] Homer buys a new barbecue {je}
- [8F04] Krusty Walky-talky {dh}
- [8F07] Attempted birdhouse #2 {je}
- [8F12], [2F31] Belching contests {gw}
- [8F16] Homers failed attempts at being a handy man {gw}
- [9F04] Fat Tony disposes of a body {er}
- [9F19] Ray Jay Johnson's career mentioned
- [9F21] The Yoko Ono lookalike appears {mr}
- [9F21] Barney is more talented than one would expect {gw}
- [1F05] Homer tries, without luck, to get rid of an object {gw}
- [1F08], [4F24], [5F08] Antoine "Tex" O'Hara is seen {gw}
- [1F08], [1F09], [5F01] Homer has a gun in the house (though it was a bigger
deal in 5F01 and was not a shotgun) {gw}
- [1F16], [2F16], [3F19] A shotgun is fired one-handed {er}
- [2F03] Simpson house underwater in one of the alternate futures {am}
- [2F20] In a frenzy, someone ends up destroying something of their own as
well ("Take that, nuclear power plant!" cf. "See you in hell, The
Simpsons!") {je}
- [2F31] Belching contest {hl}
- [3F16] Last time Marge's eyes are seen in the dark {dj}
- [3G01] The "Better Homes Than Yours" magazine gag was similar to the
Barbecue gag in this ep {gw}
- [3G03] Homer puts something harmful in the baby's crib (liquor bottle /
shotgun) {je}
- [4F05] The young debutante appears {je}
- [4F09] Bart eavesdrops on Skinner and Krabapple's relationship
- [4F14] Evergreen Terrace flooded {ms}
- [4F22] Angry socialite appears {es}
- [5F04] Homer warns people of his wrath {je}
- [5F11] Bill Gates "I didn't get rich by writing a lot of checks" is similar
to the Pimply Faced Teens line {gw}
- [5F15] Marge's sailboat painting {ms}
- [5F17] Springsonian Museum seen {bjr}
- [AABF13] Beanie Babies referenced in conjunction with crime {gw}==============================================================================
==============================================================================
- Homer's garage note {dh} START
HERE
TOMORROW
7/17/95- Do-it-yourself center sign {bjr}
MOM & POP
HARDWARE A SUBSIDIARY OF
GLOBAL DYNAMICS, INC.- Homer's rear bumper (or rather, his car's rear bumper) {bjr}
SINGLE +------+
'N' |3FJP24|
SASSY +------+- Art museum banner and sign, first show {dh}
INSIDE: OUTSIDER ART
LOUVRE:
AMERICAN STYLE- Art museum banner, second show {dh}
SOLO SHOW: HOMER'S ODYSSEY
- Art museum lobby sign {bjr}
NO SHIRT,
NO SHOES,
NO CHARDONNAY- Springsonian sign
SPRINGSONIAN
MUSEUM
"WHERE THE ELITE
MEET MAGRITTE"==============================================================================
==============================================================================
+ Unless this episode was supposed to take place in August, 1995, the date
painted on that garage just doesn't make sense with the other episodes.
{je}= The partial garage painting disappears. {bc}
= Lisa's cement scraper vanishes after she uses it. {dh}
- Homer's wheelbarrow is missing in certain shots. {dh}
- Damned cartoon cement! Real cement never works that quickly. {ag}
+ The kitchen curtains have switched from corn to carrots. {bc}
c Said: "you stupid ..." CC: "You son of a ..." {ag}
+ Homer is shaving his shoulders when he has never had hair on his shoulders? {gw}
- Marge's red pearl necklace shows up slightly green in the bathroom mirror. {dh}
- The master bathroom toilet shouldn't have the water tank above the toilet. (See other episodes.) {dh}
+ Wasn't "The Cartridge Family" all about Marge insisting that Homer didn't
keep a gun in the house? Tonight she saw him wielding a shotgun and didn't
so much as blink an eye! [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.] {eac}= Homer's bumper is still on car even thought it's supposed to be torn off. {hl}
= After Marge calls Homer to the door, the shaving cream on his shoulders disappears. {dj}
= Maggie is in her crib when Homer answers the door, but later appears with the other kids when they poke their heads around the corner of the house. (And I don't think she could have gotten there that fast by herself, either.)
- When Homer meets Ms. Weller, certain shots have the path of sidewalk (in the front yard) leading towards the street instead of the driveway. {dh}
+ Homers license plate was 795 DVI before, not 3FJP24. {gw}
= While at the art show, Bart keeps taking bites out of his cookie [a wheel of cheese, actually -- Ed.], but only two bite marks are shown. {eg}
+ Mr. Burns recognizes Homer's name when Homer is mentioned? Maybe he's finally learned his name. {er}
+ We've seen Marge's ring and it is certainly not Rock Candy (so shoot me, I know I wrecked the joke, but that's capsule submissions for ya) {gw}
= Homer's arty friends are smoking cigarettes at Moe's yet no actual smoke leaves the cigarettes. {dh}
= Homer's eyes weren't visible in the dark like Marge's. {ddg}
- Snorkels won't help unless you can swim/float to the top. {tmh}
- The moon looked a little too big as Homer and Bart vandalized the town.
- Why the hell does a street have a fire hydrant on _both sides_ every five
feet? Talk about paranoid! (I'd hate to have to find a parking spot in
that area.) :-D {je}* What was holding all of that water inside the town? [Eric Sansoni rebuts,
"Well, it wouldn't be the first time an American city has been flooded to
that kind of height. Springfield could be set lower than the surrounding
areas."] {tmh}==============================================================================
============================================================================== Ellen A. Cohen: Some good bits, like all the parts with Ned Flanders, and the Matt Groening/giant pencil gag. If I were Edna, I'd have smacked Skinner tonight. And by the ending, I was wondering if the episode wasn't one of Alex [Flandonwittsy]'s Homercentric episode parodies. What was the point? Homer wrecks the whole town, but somehow everyone finds it okay? It was beautiful and everything, but stank of insanity! (Well, I guess every outsider artist has to be insane.) Here's hoping the plots will start making more sense ... stupid TV, be more funny! I got more laughs in the first five minutes of "Family Guy" than in the whole half hour of "Mom and Pop Art". (C-)
Ben Collins: This has all the ingredients of a standard Bad Simpsons Episode: a heavy dose of Jerkass Homer, a ludicrous plot, lame gags that run way too long, little subtlety, and a "wacky" ending. But, being a part-time "culture" fan, I found the art references intelligent and observant. At least there are still some writers who care about things other than lame stand-up comics and celebrities. This may be the best possible Jerkass Homer episode these days. (C-)
Lucas Cox: Not a classic, but one of the better ones for this season. It was nice to see them slide some educational stuff into the episode without seeming too awkward about it. It was disappointing to see next to no Bart and Lisa though, they should have had some sort of sub plot involving the two. Homer's art pieces were pretty funny, I think the idea of Homer's various failures being interpreted as art was ingenious. My biggest gripe however was the ending. Not only that it was a little too far fetched and contrived, but I honestly don't think Homer would be smart enough to come up with such a scheme. However, the quality of the humor was above average for season 10, so I'll give this one a (B)
Sarah Culp: Fairly average, some good chuckles here and there. The ending, although very wacky and almost certainly a gaping continuity mistake, did leave me with a good feeling. I liked Homer's dream sequence as well. (B-)
Jordan Eisenberg: Although the plot is so incredibly stupid it's almost laughable, I just can't give this episode a bad grade. IMO, it had some of the season's funniest moments, such as Homer being erased, and also the wealth of FFF jokes and hidden gags. (I'd have _never_ figured out the "Astrid Weller" anagram until Haynes Lee pointed it out!) Some unfunny stuff was still overdone, like Jasper Johns acting like a kleptomaniac, and I can't stress enough how stupid the plot was. But it was still as fun to watch as I could ever ask for. Welcome back, Al Jean. (A-)
Curtis Gibby: This was a pretty good episode, with some well-placed humor. I saw the monstrous jerk-a$ Homer (i.e., when Marge was mad at him in bed), but I liked how they made up in the end. Anyhoo, the first act wasn't great, so I'm going to give this one a (B+)
Andrew Gill: I'm divided on this one. On one hand, the first act was terrible, and displays Homer at his worst. The second act, on the other hand, is almost good, since they actually showed true interaction between Homer and someone else. The third act, on the other hand, was terrific. I would buy Homer's Venice, if I could. (B-)
Joe Green: Despite being yet another showcase for Homer (yawn), this episode had the kind of intelligent writing that recalls OFF's glory days. I also appreciated the callbacks to certain older episodes. (A-)
Darrel Jones: A nice, but not great, episode. Nothing spectacular enough to be a classic, but several great gags. I liked Burns' "gave it up for a song" monologue, and Homer's dream was a classic! Even the usual wacky ending didn't seem as bad. 8/10 (A-)
Haynes Lee: This had a bad start as another Homer has a new occupation premise but fortunately it did not end in a total disaster. Flanders had some good lines and Milhouse's "floods" pants were great. (B)
Jake Lennington: I'll admit I was a little bit against this episode from the start when I knew it was going to be yet another --"Homer on another Job" ep. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much a believable jerk he was. For the first time in a long time, I actually cared about Homer's plight with originality, and Marge's frustrations at Homer's sudden rise to art fame. While it was a little disjointed at the start, the whole episode came together nicely in the second act and proceeded to finish on an artistic level with the flooded streets. Overall, while not the most humorous episodes, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling that I haven't had since "I'm with Cupid". (A)
Andrew Levine: I thought that this episodes had some very predictable jokes and a very unpredictable ending. In the end the two balance each other out. This is getting to be a very tired formula, though. (C+)
Patrick McGovern: Serendipitous! Had the feeling of a good old fashioned ep
like "I'm with Cupid" and last week's "Simpsons Bible Stories". The
writing was sharp, and there were two of the BEST celebrity voice-overs
they've ever had (Jasper Johns was a riot, and Isabella Rossellini did a
great job). Also of note is the great continuity from the old "Marge takes
up painting" ep of the past (I particularly liked Homer reminiscing over
his "Schoolgirl dreams"). Homer's dream sequence was on par with "Homer's
Night Out" as the most ROTFL sequence in ages, especially with Andy Warhol
in there ("Soup's on, fat boy!"). Better yet was the ending which, while
wacky, was well thought out and nicely done, and they managed to overcome
possible sappiness with Jasper Johns hilarious last bit. A classic, and
Season 10's second best ep (Next to last week's). (A)Tyler McHenry: Maybe my expectations have been lowered, but I didn't find it to be a bad episode. Not very good though. The plot was tired, and there weren't even any good gags to save it. I wasn't groaning in agony, but I wasn't laughing either. Boring! (C)
Tom Rinschler: This episode, and especially its ending, was as surreal as Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" featured in the story. On the one hand, it had several good jokes, some interesting criticism of art (as well as featuring many famous works), and re-introduced Marge's dream of being an artist. On the minus side, however, it had a disjointed feel, over-did some jokes (Smithers' reaction, for example), and failed to develop some interesting plot ideas. Overall, a mixed, disappointing episode. (C+)
Matt Rose: Mmm ... hippo. This one at times had a feel that was somewhat of a throwback to the Simpsons of old, but ultimately it became nothing more than a typical late-season "Homer gets into some wacky plot twist involving a gratuitous celebrity guest voice and all is solved in some bizarre non-sequitur ending". Although this show had some funny moments (for some reason the recurring joke with Jasper Johns cracked me up), I really believe they've run out of plot ideas. Oh well ... at least Homer's character was palatable (in fact, I enjoy that cheery "I like stories" kind of characterization). This episode is pretty much middle of the road for me. (C+)
Jason Rosenbaum: Tonight was an episode wasn't great, but it set a new milestone in Simpsons history: it had the absolute best third act EVER. Although the first and second were uneventful, the third act teemed with humor. Especially the part where Homer says "Matt Groening, why is he here?" and then a pencil tries to erase Homer and it's actually a piece of art. I swear, I was laughing so hard. This episode would probably be a C- without the third act, but with the third act, I give it a solid (B)
Evan Ross: Very good. I enjoyed this episode very much. If it wasn't for some parts, this would have been a very good episode. However, the plot was weak at parts and the jokes didn't quite fill it in. (A-)
Eric Sansoni: With this episode, written by Al Jean, once again the new work of past writers outclasses the work of the freshmen on The Simpsons' writing staff. [...] He provides a few real laughs, including the utterly great visual gag involving the cover of the barbecue manual, then settles in to his more cerebral satire. He sticks with his idea from beginning to end, taking it to an ultimate length that is really the least convincing part of the episode, but made more palatable with the addition of lots of fast-paced extra details. He may not conclude with the real weight of his inspiration, but he finds pleasure in the visuals, and a sweetness between Homer and Marge that kept a smile on my face. (B+)
Alexander S. Woods: Another far out ending but the Johns' stealing the painting saved it. Way too many art refs: Mondrian, Warhol, Dali, Picasso, Johns', Renoir, and more. AP Art History pays off! Family riding the couch ala Slim Pickens in Dr. Strangelove was hilarious. I didn't catch the chalkboard--something about an ape and gym class. (A)
Yours Truly: One of the better "Homer gets a new job" shows, this episode benefits from strong characterization, reasonably realistic plotting, and interesting links back to "Brush with Greatness (7F18)." (And probably from Al Jean's influence, as well.) Homer does an excellent job of being boorish enough to entertain, but not so mean he enrages. Other bonuses are lots of material for games of "spot the artist," and good guest appearances by Isabella Rossellini and Jasper Johns. (A-)
AVERAGE GRADE: B (3.01) Std Dev.: 0.8308 (29 reviews computed)
==============================================================================
==============================================================================
John Dinsdale: I taped tomorrow night's new episode off satellite this morning (the feed for Canadian TV) and during the title card there was something about "Revised version/Hostage Scene Removed". Does anyone know what this missing scene is and why it was cut? Something to do with Kosovo? I wonder if it's only cut in Canada or will be missing on FOX too, and whether it will be reinstated for syndication.
David Brunt: Maybe the episode was overrunning, and that was a substantial cut to bring it down to time. The title card -- and any other Fox record - - may list it to differentiate it from the full version. Just a suggestion. No, I don't know what it was ... :-)
[When the episode repeated, the scene of the tree with yellow "hostage remembrance" ribbons was reinstated. -- Ed.]
Nathan DeHoff: I think it was removed the first time because the episode was aired so soon after the American hostages were taken in Kosovo. Someone mentioned something about a "hostage scene" earlier, and I guess that was it.
Mike Smith recounts Al Jean's history: Yes, Al Jean is nicknamed "I Murdered Mike Reiss" (as referred to in "Treehouse Of Horror IX" [AABF01]). This is his regular episode as a writer, having previously written as a solo writer, "Lisa's Sax" (3G02), which is one four 3G episodes produced after Season 7 as a filler episode, which didn't air until Season 9.
But, many OFF fans still remember the classic episodes that Jean & Reiss wrote, such as "The Way We Was" (The first flashback episode [7F12]), "Stark Raving Dad" (The infamous Michael Jackson episode [7F24]), "Lisa's Pony" (The first episode that described the bonding of Homer & Lisa [8F06]), Treehouse of Horror II ([8F02]), and III (The "Clown Without Pity" segment [9F04]) and "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" (The famous Shari Bobbins episode, which marked their last OFF episode as writers [3G03]), as well as "There's No Disgrace Like Home" (7G04), and "Moaning Lisa" (7G06). They also wrote the storyline for "'Round Springfield" (2F32).
Tom Rinschler explains: Pop Art is the name given to a style of art of the mid-twentieth century. It was known for taking ordinary, everyday objects, and turning them into art. Its most famous practitioner was Andy Warhol, who was best known for painting soup labels, one of which Homer was drooling over in the museum. Mr. Warhol himself appeared later in the episode, pummeling Homer with the soup cans in the latter's dream.
Mike Smith: Isabella Rossellini is maybe best known for those highly- successful miniseries produced under the Hallmark Entertainment banner, such "The Odyssey" and "Merlin". Before she became a star, she was a daughter of one of the most-hated marriages in Hollywood history, between Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini. In fact, according of the IMDB, she's twins, since her twin sister is Isotta Rossellini! Her stepsister is film critic Pia Lindstrom.
Andrew Levine adds: She [also] has appeared in many Italian films, as well as "Death Becomes Her" and "Wyatt Earp".
Gary Wilson: "Arrivederci Roma," sung by Dean Martin, is played during the closing scenes. [K. Coxnard says it's Vic Damone -- Ed.]
Yuri Dieujuste: Home Depot is a large chain of hardware stores in the United States. They are usually designed as large warehouse like-stores. If you don't understand, just think of a local hardware store as a local corner store and Home Depot as a large supermarket. In fact some Home Depots in my area (New York Metro) are open 24/7 or have late closing hours.
Todd P. Emerson writes: Okay, regardless of what Marge told John in "Homer's Phobia," tonight's episode should prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that those are CARROTS on the Simpsons' kitchen curtains! Unless they've got some really weird-looking cobs of corn there in Springfield ...
Dave Hall: Unless the people working on the Simpsons staff have bets if we'd notice the switch, the curtain pattern has always (at least to my knowledge), been a corncob pattern. Take a look at the beginning of "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer" you see Marge taking a pair of scissors to them. When she begins to sew you clearly see the yellow ridge outlines that make up the cobs and the green ends that make up the stems.
FYI in Sept '97, Andrew Gore visited the real Simpsons house, the one that was given away as part of a Fox network/Kaufman & Broad homebuilders contest, in Las Vegas. Andrew reports the kitchen curtains were a corncob pattern.
Yuri Dieujuste: Pere No�l is French for Father Christmas. When you go to France, Belgium, Quebec, or other French speaking lands, whenever you hear this term, just think Santa Claus. Personally, I have used to this term for people who constantly give things to show off!
Benjamin Robinson: An orange VW Old Beetle dodges Homer's runaway grille/art project.
Not so lucky was Astrid Weller's black BMW, which most resembles a 1980's vintage 5-series.
Before Homer entertains his Euro-trash friends, we can see a green Jaguar XJ-S in front of Moe's Tavern.
Ben Collins adds: Judging from the horribly outdated bumper sticker, Homer's car must be 10 or more years old. If that means "10 years ago today," the car would be from the late '80s, a lousy time for American cars, particularly GM models. If it's "10 years ago in 1990," Homer drives a late '70s / early '80s model, an even lousier time for American cars.
Ellen Cohen submitted this goof, which I'm repeating here: wasn't "The Cartridge Family" all about Marge insisting that Homer didn't keep a gun in the house? Tonight she saw him wielding a shotgun and didn't so much as blink an eye!
Eric Sansoni answers: Homer also had a gun in the house in "Radio Bart." In my book, "Cartridge Family" is the mistake, especially since I liked it less than the conflicting episodes.
... as does "Rilchiam": He had a shotgun in "$pringfield."
Jonney T. Grunnet responds: IIRC, all the instances where Homer has a gun either before or after "The Cartridge Family" the firearm in question was a shotgun. In "The Cartridge Family" it was a handgun. Perhaps Marge has a problem with just handguns as opposed to shotguns or rifles. As an example to back up my theory; in the episode where Burns is shot, she practically has a cow about Grandpa bringing his old Smith and Wesson into the house. This kind of plays out in real life since I've known a number of people who have owned hunting shotguns or rifles and wouldn't even think about having a handgun.
- Is Smithers Gay?
Haynes Lee: [He] got ecstatic when Burns says he's in love.
Gary Wilson: He rides with Mr. Burns in a swan boat, like two lovers.
Yuri Dieujuste writes: The Louvre is a large museum in Paris, France. The museum contains the Mona Lisa and the glass pyramids in front of the museum. It is mostly known for blending classical and contemporary designs and art work. Soon, the museum will be going under renovations in some areas. Eventually, they will move the Mona Lisa to a new room for housing.
Joe Klemm notes: Smart move for Mr. Burns buying the copyright to Irving Berlin's White Christmas. The song won an Oscar for Berlin in the 1940's, was only one of two songs to have the same performer reach it to the number one position in two different years (the other is The Twist by Chubby Checker), and, with it usually being played by radio stations around Christmas time, would easily help Burns get money for royalties.
Gary Wilson adds: this song is known for getting incredible sales during the Holiday season, year after year
David Brunt adds: "White Christmas" won the best song Oscar in 1943, originally from the 1942 movie "Holiday Inn" of course. "White Christmas" is generally credited as being the world's largest-selling song. I'm fairly sure that Paul McCartney owns the copyright on Berlin's songs.
Referring to Bart's "confession" to Homer, Andrew Gill writes: It seems to me that the writers have been repeatedly crossing the line with their gay "jokes." It seems to me that they're beginning to insinuate that being gay is "wrong." Sad, when it comes from a series that, two years ago, was promoting tolerance.
Well, there are definitely too many gay jokes on the show lately. Almost every character from Krusty to Homer to Bart to Milhouse has had gay references that years ago would have been considered too blatant for even Smithers. I don't really get the joke with these most of the time. I don't think it's necessarily that they're saying being gay is wrong. That doesn't seem to be the point, for instance, of Homer watching Lenny and Karl in the shower. It just seems like these jokes can't work unless homosexuality was still a big taboo. Since it's become pervasive in entertainment and the media, these jokes seem pointless and tame now. And the ones that are based on homosexual stereotypes, i.e. male characters acting feminine in stereotypical ways, just seem stupid, given our now more up-to-date understanding of homosexuality.
Benjamin Robinson lectures: If you watched "Mom and Pop Art" closely enough, you could have picked up enough material to impress your art teacher for the rest of this semester. Some of the artists and works mentioned or shown [*] include
Jasper Johns: When he's not busy guest-voicing on cartoons, Jasper Johns is a painter. Many of his paintings depict flat subjects like flags, rulers, and targets. The public in general liked him because most of the paintings resembled what their subjects were "supposed" to look like (that is, his flags looked like flags), and weren't ugly. Art critics liked pondering the deep questions his work brought up, like "Does a painting of the flag carry the same symbolic weight as an actual flag?"
Stanley Greenberg asks: Did anyone catch the obscure (except to modern art students) reference of Johns stealing light bulbs? Some of his best early pieces were paintings and sculptures of light bulbs.
Andrew Levine: Rene Magritte (1898-1967): Was probably the world's most important Surrealist painter other than Salvador Dali. His forte was the manipulation of images in such a way as to strip them of their traditional meaning and instill a new one; for example, a table sitting on top of an apple, rather than the other way around. Common images in his paintings include green apples, round silver bells, and puffy clouds against azure skies. He is most famous for his series of paintings of pipes captioned "This is not a pipe" (which is true, since it's a painting and not an actual pipe).
David Brunt: Rene Magritte is frequently hailed as one of the first 1960s 'Pop Artists', though he usually denied it.
A lot of his later work features the absence of people's faces -- they were usually substituted by other parts of the anatomy or incongruous objects. There's one (the name of which eludes me), which has an umbrella emerging from a human torso.
Benjamin Robinson continues: Claes Oldenberg: Sculptor whose subjects are mundane objects, like pencils, blown up to giant size.
Stanley Greenberg: Marge described [him] as a European artist. Though he was born in Sweden, he came to the US when he was 6, and has been a citizen since the 1950s.
Benjamin Robinson: Picasso: Even Homer probably knows this guy. As Marge helpfully points out, Picasso's art went through several stages, depending on his interests at the time. The Springsonian has that painting of the guitarist from his Blue Period, and what I think is called "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon" from his abstract phase. In addition, Burns mentions "Guernica," that famous anti-war painting with grief-stricken war victims huddled in a barn.
Mark Rothko: After Marge mentions Picasso's "angry jerk" period, we can see a painting of nesting squares on the wall behind her. I think this is Rothko's "Homage to a Square." Rothko was a minimalist painter, and had lots of paintings of squares, solid-colored fields, and the like.
Piet Mondrian: Next to the Rothko is a simple painting of colored and white squares, separated by heavy black lines. This is the trademark style (or stijl) of Mondrian. Or maybe they just got a local artist to do one. Let's face it, it's an easy style to imitate.
Andy Warhol: Pop artist famous for using icons from American everyday life (like Campbell's soup cans) in his art. Warhol was multimedia before that term went into mainstream usage. He has created some of the weirdest movies ever made (one was an eight-hour flick of a man sleeping) and has some sort of connection with the Velvet Underground. Warhol's most impressive work of art may have been his own life, which he made the focal point of an almost constant media circus. Warhol is the man credited with saying, "Everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." Evidently, the rule didn't apply to himself, since he was famous for years and is still well- known today.
Leonardo Da Vinci: A Renaissance man, literally and figuratively. Listed here because the four-armed four-legged man is from a drawing of Da Vinci's.
Salvador Dali: Another surrealist painter. One of Homer's dreams shows the melting watches from "The Persistence of Memory."
Christo: Lisa names this artist. Like she says, he's famous for wrapping things. Once, he surrounded an island with hundreds of square yards of plastic sheeting -- it just floated around the shoreline like a pink pool cover. Yeah, I don't get it either, but Christo says the idea is to get art out of museums and out into the world where people can appreciate it. Recently, he even managed to span the Pacific Ocean, installing giant yellow umbrellas both in California, as Lisa said, and in Japan. Sadly, some people were killed when a storm loosed some of the California umbrellas from their moorings.
Ben Collins adds: The California umbrellas were put up in September-October, 1992 (I think). As any Southern Californian knows, that's the Santa Ana/Brush Fire season, where powerful, hot, dry desert winds add to the already dangerous fuel of dried brush from the spring and summer to cause fires. At least one person, a woman from Camarillo, CA, was killed when an umbrella struck her. The umbrellas were promptly taken down.
On a happier note, Dale G. Abersold writes: I lived in Berlin when the long Reichstag project was nearing its end (Christo and his wife had begun planning the project in 1971). There was quite a bit of political opposition to it: If I recall correctly, it was the (then) ruling Christian Democrats who were primarily opposed. Finally in June 1995 they wrapped the building up. Christo definitely succeeded in getting people to come out and see art for themselves: 5 million people came to look at "Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin 1971-1995" (as the artwork was officially named). Unfortunately, that was three years after I left Berlin. D'oh!
Benjamin Robinson: Matt Groening: Subversive cartoonist, and the man behind "Life in Hell." Groening was actually trained as a writer, not an artist, and so his work relies more on witty dialog and sharp satire than on his almost sketchy artwork.
Why waste time going to an art museum when you can just watch "The Simpsons?" Tom Rinschler presents, "Works of Art I Noticed and Know the Title of": "Guernica" by Picasso -- Burns nearly bought this. [We don't see it, but Andrew Gill notes it's a "horrific painting of the bombing of that town during the Spanish Civil War" -- Ed.]
"Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat -- Barney's "drawing."
From the sketchbooks of Leonardo da Vinci -- the man with four arms and legs who pummels Homer.
"The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali -- the watch melting on Homer.
A copy of the "Discus Thrower" by Myron -- statue in the museum.
Jonathan M. Gladstone: One [from the museum] was Picasso's "The Three Musicians".
Andrew Levine: "Les Demoiselles D'Avignon" by Pablo Picasso (painting with five women)
"Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow" by Piet Mondrian (Red, blue and yellow squares with black lines).
"Vitruvian Man" by Leonardo Da Vinci (sketch that beats up Homer in his dream).
"Guernica" is Pablo Picasso's.
Don Del Grande tells us who Ray Jay Johnson is: He was a regular on Redd Foxx's variety show back in 1977. His entire gimmick went like this: when someone called him "Mr. Johnson", he replied:
Oh, you doesn't has to call me Mr. Johnson! My name is Raymond J. Johnson, Jr. Now you can call me Ray Or you can call me Jay Or you can call me Johnny Or you can call me Sonny Or you can call me Junie Or you can call me Ray-Jay Or you can call me R.J. Or you can call me R.J.J. Or you can call me R.J.J.Junior But you doesn't has to call me Mr. Johnson!
(In "Krusty Gets Kancelled", he's called Ray-Jay Johnson.)
[Don concludes with, "I guess there IS such a thing as "knowing too much trivia" after all ..." -- Ed.]
John Jensen adds: Then several years ago he did some TV commercials, reviving the schtick, and then in the last spot for the campaign a hot babe called him Mr Johnson and he said "Now SHE can call me Mr Johnson." Don't worry, it wasn't that funny being there either.
Andrew Gill debunks Homer's plan for conceptual art: First off, the floor mats wouldn't stop all of that water from going down into the sewers, unless it caught a whole bunch of leaves and crap. They also might have disintegrated, and stopped up the grates. The sewers wouldn't take the load, and would back up, so this is probably an indication that Springfield has storm sewers, or else people would be quite unhappy about the things floating in the streets of Springfield. For you Where Is Springfield types--only newer cities (like since 1970) have storm sewers.
The water company would get alarms when the tanks dropped below a certain level, and go out to see what the problem was, and so shut off the hydrants. Or so says my dad, Executive Director of the State College Borough Water Auth.
Finally, the sewers aren't the only places where water goes. The ground would soak up all of that water. Unless, of course, the water is being contained by the state parks around Springfield. Astroturf is laid on a foundation of cement, remember.
Andrew Gill can't provide the entrance requirements for Paradise, but he can tell us what it takes to get into Arizona State: General Entrance Requirements Arizona-resident Freshmen must: Rank in the top quarter of their high school class OR Score 22 on the ACT or 1040 on the SAT I OR Have a 3.0 GPA (4.0=A)*
Non-resident Freshmen must: Rank in the top quarter of their high school class OR Score 24 on the ACT or 1110 on the SAT I OR Have a 3.0 GPA (4.0=A)*
(from: <http://www.asu.edu/admissions/frereq.html>)
The Haynes Lee alterna-title for this episode is: Mondo Art
Jordan Eisenberg's Alterna-alterna-title: "Homer Improvement"
Yuri Dieujuste: The Reichstag is the German Parliament house.
Jordan Eisenberg: The scene in the previews in which Homer mangles Moe's jukebox for not accepting pesos joins the long line of footage forever lost on the cutting room floor, and the VCRs of people who taped the previous week's credits. :-)
Dave Hall contributes the next two items: Outsider Art could be by: Mental patent, Hillbilly, or Chimpanzee.
The Simpsons roll their TP over-handed.
Andrew Gill: Ray Jay Johnson probably *is* more popular, these days.
Joe Klemm: Toys For Tots is a charitable organization which supplies toys for needy children in the USA. Most of their collections happen around Christmas, where bins are placed so that way people can drop their donations off in there.
Haynes Lee: Floods [are] also called high-water pants which nerds preferred to wear during the 1970s.
==============================================================================
============================================================================== % Homer relaxes in the backyard hammock wearing a festive shirt and straw hat. % He pours a can of Duff into a coconut half. Another beer is on a table % beside him.
Homer: [singing] You put the beer in the coconut and drink it all up. You put
the beer in the coconut and throw the can away. [throws can over
fence, hitting Ned Flanders]
Ned: Homer!
Homer: [pours other can into coconut] You throw the can away. [hits Ned with
the other can]
Ned: I said, Homer!
Homer: You throw the can away. [reaches for another can, but there is none]
Marge! I'm out of beer!
[Ned walks away]
Marge: [pulling weeds] You know, Homie, a lot of men use their Saturdays to do
things around the house -- hint, hint!
Homer: But, Marge, I'm not like other men; that's why you buy my pants at that
special store! [snaps his waistband]
Marge: I'm serious. You never finished painting the garage...
[Garage door has corner painted blue with the note "Start here tomorrow
7/17/95"]
...and you could at least get that snake out of the piano.
[The piano seemingly plays itself, then a snake peeks out the top]
Homer: Fine. I'll drop everything I'm doing just for you, but you'll have to
live with the guilt of ruining my Saturday. Can you live with that,
Marge? Huh? Can ya?
Marge: Yup.
Homer: Can ya?!
[Marge gives him a stern look; Homer groans and throws his coconut over
the fence and hits Ned]
Ned: [annoyed] God--! [cheerful] bless him!
-- "Mom and Pop Art"% Homer and Bart go to Mom & Pop Hardware -- a subsidiary of Global Dynamics, % Inc. They walk over to a teenager wearing a hammer hat.
Homer: Excuse me. I have a few questions for Pop.
Teen: That's me.
Bart: You're Pop?! No offense, but even I could kick your ass.
Teen: Hey, get off my case. The only reason I'm working here is 'cause I'm
trying to get a date with Mom.
["Mom" files her fingernails on a grinder while smoking]
Homer: Look, Pop, I'm planning some expert home repairs and I need a pair of
bolt cutters, or wire cutters, or something to get the lock off my
toolbox.
Teen: Aisle 1, next to the cat poison.
-- "Mom and Pop Art"% Edna Krabapple and Seymour Skinner, are nearby in the lighting aisle.
Skinner: Edna, look! A dimmer switch could ratchet up the romance in our love
nest.
Edna: You mean the janitor's closet? Ha!
Skinner: Oh, what's the matter, Edna? Lately you just say "ha" to everything.
Edna: I want a baby! Now!
[They notice Bart watching them]
Skinner: Why don't we continue this in pool supplies?
-- "Mom and Pop Art"% Homer gets distracted by a TV display for barbecue pits.
Doug: Hi, I'm Doug Vaccaro. You know me as Chip, the wisecracking assistant
on the hit sitcom "Toolin' Around".
Homer: Tih! A man in an apron! [chuckles]
Doug: But today, I'm here as a "tool" of Global Dynamics Corp. You know,
installing your own barbecue pit is no harder than adding an aviary or
Olympic-size swimming pool. In fact, it's a snap. [snaps fingers; a
barbecue pit with a chicken on the rotisserie appears] Or, if you're
not into chicken...
Homer: No, no! I'm into chicken!
Doug: ...how about wild boar? Or swordfish? Or hippo? [snaps fingers after
each food, causing it to appear on the rotisserie]
Homer: Mmm ... hippo.
Anncr: Lighthearted apron not included. Snapping fingers may not make food
appear.
Homer: How about it, Bart? Would you like a new backyard barbecue pit?
Bart: Can I burn evidence in it?
Homer: We can *all* burn evidence in it.
-- Homer falls for an advertisement again, "Mom and Pop Art"% Back at the house, with the concrete foundation for the barbecue pit done, % Homer brushes off his hands. He then takes over the construction job from % Lisa, who's the one who had been working. % % Homer picks up the box to admire what the finished product should look like. % Then the bottom of the box opens and the contents drop into the wet cement. % Homer quickly removes the stuff and puts it on top of a wheelbarrow full of % bricks. The wheelbarrow tips over, spilling everything in the cement. % Homer curses Lisa, then sets out to build the whole thing before the cement % dries. He finds the instructions, but the English side is covered with % cement, so he looks at the French side and can't figure that out either. % And so, Homer frantically cements together whatever he happens to grab. % % Later, Homer marvels at one perfectly built barbecue pit. He puts down the % box and sees his pile of parts. "Why doesn't mine look like that?!" he % hollers. He picks up a crowbar and starts beating on the junk pile in a fit % of rage.
Why?! Why must life be so hard? Why must I fail at every attempt at masonry? -- Homer, further damaging his barbecue pit, "Mom and Pop Art"
% In the kitchen, Marge asks Bart how Homer's project is coming. Bart says % that he thinks he's almost done. Out the window, Homer charges at his % project with an umbrella. The umbrella gets lodged in and opens as Homer % falls backwards onto the ground. "Yeah, he's done," says Bart. % % Back at the hardware store, Homer brings his barbecue pit in a cart. He % walks up to "Mom" and "Pop", who are kissing.
Homer: I'd like to return this barbecue kit.
Teen: All returned items must be in a box and accompanied by a receipt.
Homer: [shines a flashlight into the conglomeration] Well, if you'll follow
the flashlight, you'll see the receipt embedded here and here, and
elements of the box here, here, and possibly here.
Teen: Sorry, I didn't get this hammer hat by handing out refunds.
-- Homer tries to return his failed barbecue pit, "Mom and Pop Art"% Homer gives up trying to get his money back and would be content just to get % rid of his junk barbecue pit. He tries to stuff it into a Toys for Tots bin % when Chief Wiggum taps him on the shoulder with his nightstick.
Wiggum: Yeah, hold on there, Santa Claus. That box is for toys only.
Homer: Well, of course! Any kid would love to have this ... activity center.
It teaches them while they learn!
Wiggum: Yeah, nice try, Saint Nick. Now hit the road, Kris Kringle!
Homer: But ... but...
Wiggum: You heard me [pokes Homer's gut with nightstick] pear Noel.
[Homer gives up and puts the barbecue pit on the cart and leaves; Fat
Tony, Legs, and Louie come and dump a body in a bag into the bin]
Whatcha got there?
Louie: Beanie Baby.
-- Trying to get rid of stuff, "Mom and Pop Art"% Homer drives with the barbecue pit on the cart tied to the rear bumper % behind the car. Homer looks at the terrible thing in the rear view mirror.
Homer: I'll never get rid of it. It'll follow me to the end of the earth!
[The car hits a bump and the rear bumper falls off along with the
barbecue pit]
Alright! My bumper fell off!
[Many cars swerve out of the way of the junk]
Not my fault! Act of God, act of God! [chuckles]
[The bumper hits a car and the barbecue pit lands on the hood]
Uh-oh. [adjusts rear view mirror from the view of the wreck to some
deer] Ah. [continues driving]
-- Homer finally rids himself of his barbecue pit, "Mom and Pop Art"% Back home, Homer shaves his shoulders in the master bathroom when Marge % comes in.
Homer: [singing] Shavin' my shoulders. I'm gettin' it all shaved off.
Marge: Homie, someone's at the door. They want to talk to you about some sort
of car accident?
Homer: Take the kids out back. [pulls shotgun from behind the water closet]
I'll handle this. [cocks gun]
-- "Mom and Pop Art"% Homer walks don the stairs where a woman is waiting for him.
Woman: Mr. Simpson?
[Homer sets down the shotgun in Maggie's crib]
I believe something of yours struck my car yesterday.
Homer: Oh, yeah? Prove it.
Woman: [opens front door revealing the barbecue pit and bumper] That's your
license plate, isn't it?
Homer: Um ... [sobbing] alright, just go ahead and sue me! Everybody else
does! The average settlement is $68,000.
Woman: I'm not here to sue you. My name is Astrid Weller. I own an art
gallery and I'd love to display your piece.
Homer: You mean this hunk o' junk? This isn't art; it's the barbecue that
pushed me over the edge. [shaking fist] Didn't you? Didn't you?!
You stupid -- [kicks a pipe sticking out of it, bending it]
Astrid: Art isn't just pretty pictures; it's an expression of raw human
emotion -- in your case, rage.
Homer: Oh, I got that, lady.
Marge: [peeks around the corner of the house] Is everything okay? [so do the
three kids] I got worried when I didn't hear any shots.
Homer: This lady says I'm an artist.
Marge: You? An artist?
Astrid: Your husband's work is what we call "outsider art". It could be by a
mental patient, or a hillbilly, or a chimpanzee.
Homer: [gasps] In high school I was voted most likely to *be* a mental
patient, hillbilly, or chimpanzee!
Astrid: Well, you should be very excited because outsider art couldn't be
hotter.
Homer: So you'd better catch the fever! [shakes fist at Bart] Catch it!
-- Homer gets his week's calling, "Mom and Pop Art"% At the Louvre: American Style, the Simpsons look at all the outsider art on % display, except Homer, who munches the snacks.
Lisa: Dad, chew with your mouth closed. You're losing your mystique. Homer: Lisa, all great artists love free food. Check out Jasper Johns. Johns: [stuffing food in his jacket] You squeal on me, I'll kill you. -- "Mom and Pop Art"
% Marge looks at Homer's piece.
Marge: I don't know. I studied art for years, but I just don't get this.
Bart: Sounds like somebody's jealous.
Marge: No I'm not! I just can't believe some people are paying hundreds of
dollars for something a hillbilly pulled out of the trash.
Cletus: Hey, I done studied for years on how to get over that junkyard fence
... then I learnt the gate was open.
[Mr. Burns and Smithers walk over to Homer's piece of art]
Burns: Smithers, I think I'm in love!
[Smithers gasps happily]
...with this sculpture!
Smithers: Sir, that's by Homer Simpson; I don't think you want to buy it.
Burns: Smithers, years ago I blew the chance to buy Picasso's "Guernica"
for a song! Luckily, that song was "White Christmas", and by
hanging onto it I made billions. Anyway, I love this hideous thing.
Young lady, I'll take it! [hands Astrid a check]
Astrid: Congratulations, Homer. You're now a professional artist.
Homer: Whoo hoo! Look, Marge, my first sale! In your face, Jasper Johns!
[Jasper Johns, interrupted from stealing a light bulb from a
fixture, runs away]
-- Homer sells his dealie, "Mom and Pop Art"% [End of Act One. Act Time: 8:26 Running Time: 8:26] % % While Marge and the kids eat in the dining room, Homer pulls a heap of stuff % through.
Lisa: Where are you going with that junk, Dad?
Homer: I'm gonna be an outsider artist. That way I can turn all these old
baseball cards, Disney memorabilia, and antiques into something
valuable.
Marge: Homie, I'm really happy you sold your sculpture, but don't you think it
may have been a fluke?
Homer: Hey, I've always had an interest in art, dating back to my schoolgirl
days when I painted portrait after portrait of Ringo Starr.
Marge: That's *my* life you're describing!
Homer: I think I remember my own life, Marge.
-- "Mom and Pop Art"% Homer stands in the garage with Bart, Lisa, and a big lump of clay.
Homer: Astrid said the key to my art is anger, but you know me -- I'm Mr.
Mellow, so I'm giving you kids permission to get me mad. Come on, give
me what you got.
Lisa: Well, if it'll help ... Mom found out her engagement ring is made of
rock candy.
Homer: [hits the clay with a stick and his fist] Good work, honey. Keep it
coming.
Bart: Well, I'm flunking math, and the other day I was a little attracted to
Milhouse.
[Homer wails and beats the clay]
-- The art studio, "Mom and Pop Art"% At Moe's.
Homer: Moe, this is Astrid, my dealer, and these are my fans: Gunter, Kilto,
and Cecil Hamstead on Cecil Cecil.
Moe: So, uh, you guys are Euro trash, huh? How's that, uh, workin' out for
ya?
Gunter: Eh, to be honest, we are a drift in a sea of decadent luxury and
meaningless sex.
Moe: Uh-huh ... so where might this sea be located?
Cecil: I must be back to my hotel and practice my affectations for tomorrow.
Bon soir!
Homer: What do we owe you, Moe?
Moe: Nothing, nothing. Just gimme a priceless sketch with a certificate of
authenticity.
Homer: Alright. [scribbles on paper]
Barney: Hey, Moe, can I pay with a drawing?
Moe: Nice try there, twelve step.
[Barney groans and drops a copy of Seurat's "Sunday Afternoon on La
Grande Jatte"]
-- "Mom and Pop Art"% At the power plant, Homer tries his hand at figure drawing by sketching % Lenny and Carl while they're showering. % % Back in the garage, Homer jams a chainsaw into a metal shelf. Marge brings % Astrid in.
Marge: Here he is. This is where the "magic" happens. Astrid: Wonderful news, Homer. Homer: Is it about pies? Astrid: Uh ... no. We're going to hold a show devoted entirely to you. Homer: Wow! It's like Marge's dream come true ... for me! Isn't that great, Marge ... for me? -- Uh ... no?, "Mom and Pop Art"
% Homer and Marge sit in bed. Homer reads a book.
Homer: Look, Marge. They're advertising my show in "Art in America". It's
the first time I've been mentioned there ... that I know of.
Marge: I'm happy for you. Now, good night.
Homer: Good night. [turns off light, then turns it on again] You're upset
about something. Is this about that trip Barney and I took to Maccu
Piccu?
Marge: Oh, Homer, being an artist was *my* dream, but now, without even
trying, you've accomplished more in a week than I have in my whole
life.
Homer: Oh, honey, I've always liked your art. Your paintings look like the
things they look like.
Marge: That's sweet, but how would you like it if I -- I don't know -- entered
a belching contest.
Homer: Frankly, I'd be a little turned on.
Marge: You don't understand.
Homer: Marge, I've screwed up everything I've ever done. I mean, look at
Bart. But I
[truncated]